Folding machine for tabloid newspapers



Dec. 10, 1929. I o, c, ROESEN 1,739,328

FOLDING MACHINE FOR TABLOID NEWSPAPERS Filed Dec. 14, 1927 E 123? Raids Ziy T I AWM Patented Dec. 10, 1929 umruo STATES PATENT OFFICE OSCAR CHARLES ROESEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WOOD NEWSPAPER MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA FOLDING MACHINE FOR TABLOID NEWSPAPERS Application filed December 14, 1927.

v to lay one sheet over the other with no fold between them.

The principal object of the invention is toprovide a construction in which the folding and cutting mechanism is all in one unlt adapted to be moved transversely to provide perfect registration between the two split webs from two formers, without the employment of compensating rolls and to avoid puckering of one of the webs under such circumstances.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, which is a partly diagrammatic view of the end of a folder showing the formers in elevation and the course of the webs from the formers to the folder.

The web for a tabloid newspaper is slit along the center line of the former so that, where a fold would normally appear along the center of an ordinaryweb, there is no fold at all but an entire separation of two sheets. Thus the former merely performs the function of two angle bars that will bring together the two halves of the web one upon the other.

These tabloids are run on double width presses necessitating two formers, and the web is slit on the drag roll by three slitters, one slitter between the two formers and the other two slit-ters at their centers. The formers, of course, deliver to the ordinary folding machine, and it has been customary heretofore to mount this folding machine in stationary position, so that it will be in position to receive the web from one of the formers substantially directly. Now when it is connected up for a tabloid and receives the web from both formers, it will be much out of line with one of them and compensating rolls have been necessary to bring these webs together in proper registration. This resulted often in the puckering of the web that had the longer lead.

Serial No. 239,924.

This invention is designed to provide for obviating this diflicult-y, and registering the webs directly without compensating means.

F or this purpose, I have shown a construction in which the web comes from the press over the drag roll 10, over which is a slitter 11 at the center dividing the web in the center as usual, and also two other slitters 12 which slit each half web in two and are located in line with the centers of the two formers 13 I have not shown any means for mounting and operating the slitters l1 and 12 as they are mounted on the usual shaft and there is no novelty in that feature.

It is obvious that under these conditions, the center line of the web passing over each former does not produce a fold in the ordinary sense, but the two halves of the web are manipulated exactly as if it were folded along the center line and the two webs are registered with each other back to back between the forming rolls 14 and then pass to the usual nipping rolls 15.

The folder 16 is ordinarily mounted in stationary position as indicated in dotted lines to receive a folded web from the left-hand former and another folder (not shown) is mounted in stationary position to receive the web from the right-hand former,'so as to receive the webs most conveniently.

Instead of employing that construction, I mount the transverse folder l6 adjustably by means of screws 17 and poppets 18. Thus it can be moved from the extreme dotted line position, or any position in which it may normally be placed, to a position in which its nipping rolls 19 come exactly half way between the two pairs of nipping rolls 15. The nipping rolls 19 are a part of the folder and are mounted to move with it. In this way the four separate webs, arranged in two pairs, are brought to the nipping rolls 19 exactly in registration with each other. They go through the folding couple, consisting of the folding cylinder 20 and the cutting'and collecting cylinder 21, in the usual way without difficulty. This does away with the necessity of placing compensating rolls between the nipping rolls 15 and the nipping rolls 19 to lengthen the path of travel in one case and thus bring the webs back into registration with each other.

This not only does away with the compensating rolls, but it eliminates the necessity of adjusting these and keeping them in adjustment. Its particular function is to prevent the puckering of the web that has the longer lead, and thus produce an improved product.

I have not illustrated herein the otherv folder which normally is employed, but that can be made either stationary or adjustable like'the folder 16. If stationary, of course, the two folders will be used in the usual way when folding full width webs, and the folder lfiwill be used alone when folding the tabloid webs.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form ofthe invention I am aware of the fact that changes can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as ex pressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the exact form shown, but

What I do claim is 1. In a newspaper printing machine, the combination with a pair of formers, a drag roll, means for slitting the web in two at a point between the two formers, means for slitting each half of the web in two at points registering with the centers of the two formers of a singlefolder, and means for delivering the four webs from the two formers, to said single folder, and means for adjusting said folder to a point at which its nipping rolls are halfway between the points of. delivery from the two formers.

2. In a folding machine, the combination with a plurality of formers and a movable transverse folding mechanism, of means whereby the folding mechanism can be ad justed bodily to compensate and register the webs coming from the formers.

3. In a folding machine, the combination I of a plurality of formers, means for slitting the webs at the centers of each of said formers, and movable transverse folding mechanism adjustably arranged with respect to the formers in such manner that the margins of the products of the formers shall register when entering the transverse folding mechanism and shall pass directly from the delivery of theformers into the folder.

4:. In a newspaper printing machine, the

' combination with a transverse folding mechanism and a plurality of formers, of means for adjusting the folding mechanism s dewlse so that several webs from the formers shall pass directly thereto and register with each cooperate with-the former, the entire folding 

